Los Angeles, Jan 15 (UNI) The legal battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively has taken an unexpected and dramatic turn, enveloping entertainment giants Marvel president Kevin Feige, Disney CEO Bob Iger and director Tim Miller in allegations of defamation and character derision.
On January 7, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, shot a litigation hold letter to Feige and Iger, demanding the preservation of all records relating to the development and depiction of "Nicepool", a character from the Marvel blockbuster "Deadpool" and "Wolverine", designed to lampoon Baldoni, as reported by Variety.
The dispute stems from allegations Lively made during the filming of "It Ends With Us", a Sony project helmed by Baldoni. During the production, Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and fat-shaming her after she gave birth to her fourth child.
However, Baldoni repudiated such allegations, asserting that they were fabricated to tarnish his image and goodwill.
The sequence features Reynolds playing “Nicepool,” an oafish alternate version of the eponymous hero Deadpool, saying such lines as “Where in God’s name is the intimacy coordinator?!” and complimenting Ladypool for “snapping back” into shape after giving birth.
Freedman's letter also instructs Disney and Marvel to preserve communications involving director Tim Miller, asserting such exchanges may shed light on Reynolds' behavioural pattern of using creative control to settle personal grudges.
This unfolding saga has already spawned a web of lawsuits. On December 31, Baldoni and nine others sued the New York Times for $250 million over its story that relied heavily on a letter filed with the California Civil Rights Department by Lively that accused the director of sexual harassment and carrying out a retaliatory online campaign.
During an appearance on “The Megyn Kelly Show” on January 7, Freedman referenced the Nicepool character. “There’s no question it relates to Justin. I mean, anybody that watched that hair bun,” Freedman said. He also questioned why Reynolds would use his wife’s alleged sexual harassment for comedic fodder. “If somebody is seriously sexually harassed, you don’t make fun of it. It’s a serious issue,” Freedman added.
Disney, Marvel and Reynolds have refused to comment on the controversy, Baldoni's attorney has indicated that a suit is imminent, telling Kelly that he plans to sue the Hollywood power couple “into oblivion.”
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